Paula Vogel's INDECENT Canceled By Jacksonville School Board; Students Speak Out

Drama students at Jacksonville's Douglas Anderson School of the Arts are speaking out after their upcoming production of the historical queer drama, Indecent, was canceled by the local school board.

Students affected by the cancellation have shared their outrage on social media, alleging that the play was scrapped due to its discussion and depiction of a same-sex love story.

Critics of the decision to cancel the production believe that the move was tied to the 2022 law, the Florida Parental Rights In Education Act, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

According to the original reporting from local outlet, Action News Jax, school officials said in a statement, "'Indecent' contains adult sexual dialog that is inappropriate for student cast members and student audiences. It's that simple. The decision has no relevance to any legislation but is rather a function of our responsibilities to ensure students engage in educational activities appropriate for their age."

The actuion was taken against the production, despite the fact that participating students obtained parental permission to perform the material.

Paula Vogel's INDECENT follows a troupe of actors, the cast of Polish-Jewish playwright Sholem Asch's God of Vengeance, who risked their lives and careers against enormous challenges to perform a work in which they deeply believed, at a time when art, freedom and truth were on trial.

For its Broadway run, INDECENT won two 2017 Tony Awards, for Best Direction of a Play (Rebecca Taichman) and Best Lighting Design of a Play (Christopher Akerlind). The production also received the Outer Critics Circle Award and Obie Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (Rebecca Taichman), the Drama Desk for Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play (Christopher Akerlind) and the Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreography (David Dorfman). Paula Vogel has been honored with a Special Citation as playwright and mentor from the New York Drama Critics Circle, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Obie Awards.